


Reunion

by achitka



Category: The Legend of Zelda: The Ocarina of Time
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-08-02
Updated: 2015-08-02
Packaged: 2018-04-12 12:59:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,078
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4480055
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/achitka/pseuds/achitka
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A world out of balance is a very dangerous place.Believing you can hide from your chosen destiny never works out well and it will always catch up with you and usually with a vengeance.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Reunion

_**The Legend of the Hero of Time:** _

_**Long ago there was a country chosen by the god's power. The people who lived in this blessed land, called the Hylians, were said to be able to hear the voices of the gods. They, together with the Gorons, Zora, Gerudo, and Kokiri carried out unique lives. Even in this rich land, the footsteps of destruction began to creep in. The Evil One seized the power of the gods, and wrapped this land in evil, and the once beautiful land fell into ruin. It was at that time a being clad in green appeared out of nowhere. Granted the power of the gods, they defeated the evil power at the end of a furious struggle. Peace returned to the land. Having appeared by crossing time this person was called the Hero of Time, and became a legend in the kingdom.** _

 

 

The Letter

After a very hot and sticky day, the old potter smiled. Extra time in the curing oven did not appear to have damaged the porcelain. Walking into the small brick building earlier that day, the potter found his granddaughter napping. Propped up on the only chair's two back legs, he could not resist and startled her awake. Luckily, she managed to catch herself before she crashed to the floor but he grinned at the memory. Lunnaei slept, the porcelain cooked, but no harm done. His granddaughter would be very relieved.

As he looked at his latest batch of wares, most everything looked better than expected. Well, all but one, though it would be the perfect gift for his granddaughter. She wanted one of her own for years, but the potter put off giving her one. Fragile objects and Lunnaei were never a good combination. As he put some of the items away on the cooling shelves, he heard the door open behind him. He did not turn, he knew who it was.

"Grandpa?" she asked quietly, "Did everything come out alright?"

He set the last of the pieces on the shelf, mustered up his best frown, and turned around. "Well, Lunnaei, everything appears in order, though the ocarina meant for Lord Dorian's son didn't fare so well."

"Oh," she said and turned to leave. Reaching the door Lunnaei stopped, turned back around and said, "This letter came for you." and held it out without looking at him.

"Thank you," he said glancing at the seal. Lunnaei was almost out the door when he stopped her, "Lunnaei?"

"Yeah?"

He heard a sniffle.

"Lunnaei today is your birthday. We can't have you crying on your birthday."

"I'm not crying."

Another sniffle.

"Then your nose appears to have sprung a leak."

Lunnaei rushed back over to the potter and gave him a hug as she said, "I'm really sorry Grandpa."

The Potter felt a twinge of guilt for making her worry and said as he returned the squeeze, "No, no, don't cry. It's not as bad as all that."

"But I wrecked..."

"Bah," the Potter said with a wave of his hand, "those pieces will be fine. In fact, that ocarina looks good. It's just the wrong color, not quite what was ordered."

"Really?" Lunaei asked and sniffed again as she pushed her tears away with her sleeve. "What color is it?"

"You can find out after it cools," the Potter said and turned her back toward the door. "Besides you'll have to hurry if you're going to be on time for your lesson."

"Oh my, I forgot about that," she said in a rush and bolted for the door. Again, she stopped and came back to him. After one more hug she said in a rush, "Thanks Grandpa, you're the best."

"You're going to be late."

He shook his head as she rushed out the door and cringed when the door slammed shut.

"Sorry!" came a muffled apology through the door.

The Master Potter of Durstin looked again at the letter; it held the Royal Crest of Hyrule on it. "Well what do you know about that." He did not open it; instead, he put it in his pocket and set about preparing the molds for another ocarina.

"So when are you leaving, Pop?"

The potter looked up from his mug. He regarded his only child with a tired expression and said, "Who said I was leaving?"

"I read the letter."

The potter looked at the table he had left it on when he came into the house, and then looked back at his son.

The younger potter shrugged, "You shouldn't leave stuff lying around if you don't want people to read it."

"Well, I wasn't really considering going."

"Sure you were," Lem said as he took a seat at the table. "Otherwise you would have thrown it into the fire the way you did the last three," he added when he noticed his father strange look. "I clean the ash out of the hearth remember?"

"Obviously next time I'll have to toss it in the kiln."

Lem's gray eyes twinkled with mischief as he said with a grin, "You'd never do that the smoke would contaminate the glaze."

"Hmmphth, know me that well do you?" The Potter took a longer drink of his tea. "So you think I should go?"

"I think you've planned to for a long time."

"You think so?" He responded without looking up.

"Yes, I think. Don't worry Pop, Lunnaei and me will be fine. How long has it been since you went on holiday?"

"I wouldn't consider it a holiday."

His son smiled. "Fine, call it a working holiday. It would do you good. Besides, you're not gonna get many more chances like this. All expenses paid and the weather in Hyrule is nice this time of year. You should see the sights, visit the market, tour the castle?"

His son's voice was lost in the clatter of the Potter's half forgotten memories as he looked out the room's only window. The sound of someone knocking at the door pulled his attention back and Lem got up from the table and answered it. From the voice, the Potter knew it was the town constable.

* * *

The older potter sat quietly, still nursing his tea as his granddaughter sat dejected at the other end of the table. When her eyes flicked to him, she sunk a little lower in the chair and Lunnaei nervously tugged on the long braid she kept her black hair in as she waited for her father to finish speaking to the Constable. She did not have to wait long as her father shut the door and asked, "Lunnaei, what possessed you to pick a fight with that boy on today of all days?"

"I didn't, he picked one with me."

The Potter glanced up hearing a hint of anger in her voice.

"That's not the way the Constable tells it," Lem said arms crossed.

Lunnaei sat up a little in her chair and retorted, "Yeah? Well, he wasn't there when it started."

"Don't get smart," Lem said with a frown. "This is the third time this month the Constable's brought you home! Just what is going on with you?"

"Nothing is! Why can't you just believe me! I didn't start that fight!"

While the Potter watched the pair with a sense of growing amusement, he could see the potential for this argument getting way out of hand. Lem really was a good father, but his son, it seemed, had forgotten his own not-so-uneventful childhood. Not wanting the argument to escalate further the Potter said, "Lem? Lunnaei?"

The two did not hear him as Lem shouted, "Four witnesses Lunnaei!"

"Four of his cronies!" Lunnaei shot back and now she was up and out of the chair. "You know they'll say whatever he wants them to," and to herself she muttered, "stupid jack-"

"You watch you language Missy," Lem said cutting her off before the expletive made its way out of her mouth. Lem began pacing back and forth and paused for a moment and looked the ceiling. He let out an exasperated sigh and asked the heavens, "What am I gonna do with you?"

"You could just solve all your problems and sell me to the Gerudo."

Lem rounded on her and said in a growl, "Don't tempt me, girl."

The Potter decided he'd better try to calm things down and said little louder, "Excuse me?"

"WHAT!" they both yelled.

The Potter blinked.

Lunnaei covered her mouth with her hands and Lem sighed, "Sorry Pop." Turning back to his daughter Lem said with a dismissive wave, "Just go to your room. I'll decide your punishment later."

Lunnaei sniffed as she turned quickly away from them. She was through the door and up the stairs before either could comment further.

"You know Lem," the older potter said carefully, "I could take her with me."

His son looked back at him as if he had sprouted another arm. "I don't know Pop. She's gotten so wild lately and I have no idea what's gotten into her. First the lesson skipping, now she's picking fights with the village idiots."

"It's not all that bad. Lunnaei was never one to jump thoughtlessly into anything," the Potter said as he sat back down. "Personally, if she says the boy started it, I'm inclined to believe her."

"Four witnesses, Pop."

"Like she said, four of his cronies, besides I am going to need some help when I get to Hyrule. I'd prefer not to rely on some snot nosed castle apprentice."

"Don't think I can handle her by myself?" his son asked as he sat down across the table. The Potter said nothing and they sat in silence for a while as each took turns taking sips of their tea. Lem broke the uncomfortable moment when he stood up to get more tea from the kettle. He picked up a small picture above the hearth and stared at it as he said quietly, "I wish Teresa were here, she always knew how to handle things like this."

"She's a good child Lem, just a little stubborn, like her father. Just remember that and it will all work out. Oh," the Potter said as he reached into his pocket. "I never got to give Lunnaei her gift. Give her this and tell her happy birthday."

Lem smiled and took the ocarina from his father. Holding it up to the light Lem admired it saying, "Its beautiful Pop, how'd you get the two tone shades of blue?"

"You can thank Lunnaei for that, she dozed off and the extra time in the curing oven made the colors bleed a little."

"She fell asleep?" Lem asked brow furrowed.

The potter could hear the anger as it returned to his son's voice and said, "Lem, there was no harm done and she's already tormented herself enough about it. Besides, it is her birthday."

"I guess," Lem said and sighed as he started toward the stairs. "You coming?"

"No, no I think I'll let you tell her that her punishment is walking all the way to Hyrule and back," the Potter said and watched his son head up the stairs. Reaching over the Potter picked up the letter and read it again:

_Dear Master Potter,_

_In commemoration of this, the twenty-fifth year of the reign of His Majesty King Ashtad, please accept this invitation to come to Hyrule. As Earl of the Eastern Province, I would like to commission a number of items to present to the Royal Family during the Feast of..._

The Potter turned the letter over in his hands, he'd received so many others like this in the past and ignored them all. So why accept this one? Hyrule may be the land of his birth but he never intended to return there. It never felt like home and his promise to return someday hung over him like a dark cloud. He refolded the letter and slipped it into his pocket.

Angry shouts above his head told him Lem had informed Lunnaei of her punishment. He smiled, lit a short bit of candle before he blew out the oil lamp on the table. He made his way to his room and set the candle in its holder. All the while, random thoughts of his past before coming here skipped around through his head like pebbles on a pond. With a sigh, the Potter blew out the candle and went to sleep.

**Author's Note:**

> Since I always said I wouldn't write an OoT Fanfic it's becoming obvious to me that I enjoy lying to myself.
> 
> Keep in mind this is not meant to be a complete retelling of the game's storyline and since I am never able to do things the normal this probably won't be any different. Sort of a retelling of that story within a larger story. It is set a good while after the OoT game ends and deal primarily with what happens if you turn your back on a chosen destiny. Probably no real surprises, but with me...you just never know.
> 
> Please do let me know if I wander too far out of the realm of Zelda reality.


End file.
